The educated youths were quite respectful, but when they learned he was also a soldier, Da Niu and Er Niu looked at him with admiration; after all, they were genuine military dependents.
As for the others, admiring strength is a normal human psychology. At this time, the worship of soldiers was ingrained in their bones, not to mention the female educated youth's occasional sneaky glances.
Even if the male educated youth had their own thoughts, they weren't particularly enthusiastic on the surface. After all, Ling Weidong's feelings were no secret in the educated youth compound, and after spending so much time together, they had to consider his feelings, right?
Lin Dongfang returned carrying the meat that was divided among the three people. The female educated youths were busy in the kitchen. Qin Qinghuai and Ling Weidong stood face to face at the entrance of the educated youth compound, talking about something. Although their faces were calm and showed no emotion, Lin Dongfang's heart still tightened.
She quietly bypassed them and entered the kitchen, then quickly looked at Mingzhu.
"What are those two doing together? What are they talking about?"
Mingzhu glanced into the room.
"Look, does he look like he's worried?"
The door to the next room was wide open. Jian Dan and a few other female educated youths were sitting around a basin, picking vegetables, chatting and laughing. They really didn't seem worried at all. I couldn't help but purse my lips.
"That's true, this person has a really big heart."
Even while inside the house, the simple man subtly steered the conversation toward the three people.
"Speaking of them, you know what? They went up the mountain today too. They said they were out of firewood to heat the kang (a traditional heated bed), and I think they went to collect some, right?"
The others nodded in agreement, and seeing that Jian Dan seemed interested, they smoothly changed the subject.
"Yes, those guys are hardworking, but they didn't do much work this autumn, and they didn't even save enough firewood."
But if you call them lazy, they really haven't been idle since they came to the village. They've only been here a short time, yet they're already quite active, asking around everywhere. It's only because they're asking about you; if it were anyone else, the rumors would be flying everywhere by now.
"Is that so?"
They went out at noon to collect firewood, and I just saw them all come back, but they didn't look too good."
"Not only was his face pale, but he was also empty-handed; he didn't even know where he'd put his basket."
Mingzhu glanced at Jian Dan; she knew what they were talking about.
To be honest, the actions of those people made her feel like a clown.
When she first arrived, she was quite timid and kept reminding Lin Dongfang to be careful. As a result, after so long, she didn't accomplish anything significant, but she was very busy talking, asking around the village. However, she didn't actually take any real action.
To be honest, she couldn't quite figure out what this person's purpose was. Could they really succeed in sending someone like that out on a mission?
Su Hong glanced out the window.
"When we came back, we were so flustered that when I talked to them, they all trembled with fear, tsk tsk!"
None of you saw what he looked like. We don't know what scared him, he hasn't shown up for ages since he got back.
He picked the vegetables slowly and deliberately, without saying anything more. It's good that he knew to be afraid.
Given her personality, she would have preferred to kill them outright to eliminate any potential problems. However, Qin Qinghuai was right; after all, they were just pawns in someone else's game, and they hadn't done anything truly heinous yet, nor had they shed blood. If this incident instilled fear in them, it wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing.
Soon, the educated youths prepared the meal and set it on the table. Jian Dan finally saw those people. Although they hadn't faced them directly during the day, they were genuinely frightened. The moment they saw Jian Dan, all three of them froze, and even their eyes began to tremble.
If it weren't for the other educated youths crowding behind them, they would have all run away.
She carefully sat down, but then she caught the cold gaze of the man opposite her, and all the courage she had just mustered vanished instantly.
Simple and straightforward, he was quite satisfied with what he saw. The bloody scene today would definitely give them nightmares for days. Even if they were unwilling to give up, they wouldn't dare to do anything else for a while.
After sitting for a while and eating a few bites, Jian Dan led Qin Qinghuai to say goodbye. Lin Dongfang and Mingzhu also stood up and picked up the child.
"We're leaving too, the kids are getting sleepy."
The outward harmony of the educated youth compound was something they all knew in their hearts. They watched as Jian Dan and the other person walked out side by side, followed by a sea of envious glances.
The male educated youth were somewhat better off, but the female educated youth were filled with confusion. Even the most capable one, Jian Dan, had gotten married. Did they have no other way out? Couldn't they wait until they could return to the city?
They've all been here for quite some time. Some, like Li Yan, Lin Zhaodi, and Tan Yajun, got married, while others, like Wang Hongmei, have been here for several years and are still self-reliant. To be honest, by now, supporting themselves isn't a problem for them.
Moreover, in recent years, Jianyi has found several ways for the village to make money. Because of this, the village has implemented many more safety measures. People in other villages don't have to worry about personal safety here.
However, having grown up in the city, going to the countryside was already a last resort for them. Naturally, they were unwilling to settle down in the countryside willingly.
From the moment they were sent to the countryside, the prospect of returning to the city was like a carrot dangling in front of them, forcing them to repeat this numb life day after day.
They had previously seen some educated youth who couldn't persevere and got married, and they couldn't help but look down on them in their hearts. How could they return to the city after getting married?
But now, even Jian Dan, whom they thought was the most independent and least likely to get married, has gotten married. The stagnant water in their hearts has been stirred up again. Is it really hopeless to return to the city? Even Jian Dan has resigned herself to her fate?
Completely unaware of what others were thinking, the few of them were already sitting on the kang (heated brick bed) enjoying a hot pot of venison.
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